The China Measures for Handling Complaints and Reports in Market Supervision and Administration (Order No. 121 of the State Administration for Market Regulation) will be implemented from April 15, 2026.

The Measures were issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation on December 30, 2025, and shall, upon implementation, repeal the former Interim Measures for Handling Complaints and Reports in Market Supervision and Administration.

Article 3 of the Measures for Handling Complaints and Reports in Market Supervision and Administration clearly distinguishes complaints from reports.

A complaint refers to an act whereby consumers, due to the need for personal consumption, purchase or use goods or accept services, and in the course of doing so encounter disputes over their rights with business operators, requesting the market supervision and administration department to resolve such disputes;

A report refers to an act whereby natural persons, legal persons, or other organizations submit to the market supervision and administration department information indicating that a business operator may have violated market supervision and administration laws, regulations, or rules.

Complainants shall provide their name, contact number, and mailing address, as well as the name or designation and address of the complained party, and specify the particular complaint request and the factual basis of the consumer rights dispute. If the complaint is entrusted to another person, an authorization letter and the entrusted person’s identification documents shall be submitted. Upon receiving the complaint, the market supervision and administration department shall decide whether to accept it within 7 working days and inform the complainant.

Reporters shall provide specific clues of suspected violations and relevant factual evidence. Upon receiving a report, the market supervision and administration department shall conduct verification in accordance with the law. Repeated reports by the same reporter on the same facts shall not be processed again; if new factual clues of violations are provided, they may be consolidated for processing. For reports made under real names, the market supervision and administration department shall notify the reporter of the handling result according to law; anonymous reports are excluded.

Full Text

Measures for Handling Complaints and Reports in Market Supervision and Administration
(Issued by Order No. 121 of the State Administration for Market Regulation on December 30, 2025, to be implemented from April 15, 2026)

Article 1 To standardize the handling of complaints and reports in market supervision and administration and protect the lawful rights and interests of natural persons, legal persons, or other organizations, these Measures are formulated in accordance with the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Consumer Rights and Interests, the Implementation Regulations of the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights and Interests, and other relevant laws and administrative regulations.

Article 2 Market supervision and administration departments shall handle complaints and reports in accordance with their responsibilities and in accordance with these Measures. Matters stipulated by laws, regulations, or rules to be handled by other departments shall be handled accordingly.

Article 3 The term “complaint” as used in these Measures refers to an act whereby consumers, due to personal consumption needs, purchase, use goods or accept services, and in the process encounter disputes over consumer rights, requesting the market supervision and administration department to resolve such disputes.
The term “report” as used in these Measures refers to an act whereby natural persons, legal persons, or other organizations submit to the market supervision and administration department information indicating that a business operator may have violated market supervision and administration laws, regulations, or rules.

Article 4 The State Administration for Market Regulation is in charge of the nationwide handling of complaints and reports and guides local market supervision and administration departments in this work.
Local market supervision and administration departments at or above the county level are responsible for handling complaints and reports within their administrative regions.

Article 5 Market supervision and administration departments shall handle complaints and reports in accordance with the principles of fairness and efficiency, ensuring the correct application of legal bases and lawful procedures.

Article 6 The public and news media are encouraged to carry out social and public supervision of acts suspected of violating market supervision and administration laws, regulations, or rules according to law.
Operators are encouraged and guided to establish consumer rights protection service stations, green channels for consumer rights protection, and improve mechanisms such as “first-inquiry responsibility,” prepayment compensation, and online resolution of consumer disputes, to prevent and promptly resolve consumer rights disputes.
Consumers are encouraged and guided to resolve consumer rights disputes with operators through consumer rights protection service stations, green channels, online dispute resolution mechanisms, or third-party dispute resolution mechanisms.

Article 7 Market supervision and administration departments shall ensure smooth, standardized, and publicly accessible complaint and report channels, improve the handling process, and handle complaints and reports promptly according to law.
Complaints and reports submitted to market supervision and administration departments shall comply with laws, regulations, and rules, and relevant provisions; rights to complaints and reports shall not be abused to obtain improper benefits, infringe on operators’ lawful rights, or disrupt market economic order and market supervision order.

Article 8 Complaints and reports to the market supervision and administration departments shall be submitted through the nationwide 12315 platform, the 12315 hotline, or the mailing addresses and acceptance windows publicly announced by the departments.

Article 9 When complaints and reports are submitted simultaneously, or the submitted materials contain both complaint and report content, the market supervision and administration department shall handle the complaint and the report separately in accordance with the procedures stipulated in these Measures.

Article 10 Complainants shall provide the following materials and be responsible for the authenticity of the materials:
(1) Real identity information of the complainant, including name, telephone number, and mailing address;
(2) Name (or designation) and address of the complained party;
(3) Specific complaint requests and factual basis of the consumer rights dispute.
If complaints are submitted in a non-written form, the market supervision and administration staff shall record the information specified above.
Market supervision and administration departments may require complainants to provide relevant identification documents to verify their real identity.

Article 11 When entrusting another person to submit a complaint, in addition to the materials specified in Article 10, Paragraph 1, an authorization letter and the entrusted person’s identification shall be provided.
The authorization letter shall specify the entrusted matters, authority, and period, and be signed by the entrusting party.

Article 12 When two or more complainants submit complaints based on the same consumer rights dispute against the same operator, with the consent of the complainants, the market supervision and administration department may handle them as a joint complaint.
Joint complaints may appoint two representatives in writing to submit complaints. The complaint actions of the representatives shall be effective for the complainants they represent, but changes of representatives, withdrawal of complaint requests, or reaching a mediation agreement with the complained party shall require the consent of the represented complainants.

Article 13 Complaints shall be handled by the county-level market supervision and administration department where the complained party’s actual place of business or residence is located.
Complaints against e-commerce platform operators or operators selling goods or providing services via self-built websites or other online services shall be handled by the county-level or above market supervision and administration department at their place of residence.
Complaints against operators within a platform shall be handled by the county-level market supervision and administration department at the platform-disclosed address or the platform operator’s residence; if the platform-disclosed address is not lawfully available or cannot be contacted, it shall be handled by the operator’s residence department.
If deemed necessary, higher-level market supervision and administration departments may handle complaints received by lower-level departments; lower-level departments may request higher-level departments to decide if a complaint should be handled by them.

Article 14 For complaints on the same consumer rights dispute where multiple market supervision and administration departments have handling authority, the department that received the complaint first shall handle it.

Article 15 Market supervision and administration departments with handling authority under these Measures shall decide whether to accept or reject the complaint within seven working days from receipt and notify the complainant.
If a complaint is not accepted, the department shall explain the reasons and other avenues for resolving consumer rights disputes in accordance with Article 39 of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Consumer Rights and Interests.

Article 16 Complaints shall not be accepted under the following circumstances:
(1) The complaint does not fall within the department’s responsibilities or the administrative organ does not have the authority;
(2) The same consumer rights dispute has already been accepted or handled by a court, arbitration institution, market supervision and administration department, or other administrative organ, or consumer association;
(3) The complaint is not for personal consumption or the complainant cannot prove a consumer rights dispute with the complained party;
(4) Except as otherwise provided by law, the complainant knew or should have known of the infringement over three years ago;
(5) Failure to provide the materials required under Article 10, Paragraph 1 and Article 11, or submission of false materials;
(6) Using another person’s identity or refusing to cooperate with identity verification;
(7) Other circumstances as provided by law, regulations, or rules.

Article 17 In determining whether a complaint falls under Item 3 of Article 16, factors may include:
(1) Purchase quantity, frequency, or pattern inconsistent with product shelf life or usual consumer

habits;
(2) Same complainant submitting multiple complaints in a short period against the same operator, goods, service, or issue, or collusion by different complainants targeting the same operator;
(3) Inability to prove actual purchase, receipt of service, or legitimate consumer rights dispute;
(4) Multiple people using the same phone number, mailing address, etc.;
(5) Other factors as deemed necessary.
City-level departments may refine these factors according to local circumstances.

Article 18 With the consent of the complainant and the complained party, the market supervision and administration department may handle the complaint through mediation. If laws or regulations provide otherwise, such provisions shall apply.
Complainants and complained parties are encouraged to negotiate on equal terms and reach settlements independently.

Article 19 With the consent of the complainant and the complained party, the market supervision and administration department may entrust a consumer association or other legally established mediation organization to mediate the complaint.
The entrusted organization shall mediate within the scope of authorization in the name of the entrusting market supervision and administration department and shall not further entrust any other organization or individual.

Article 20 Mediation may be conducted on-site or through non-on-site means, including internet, telephone, audio, or video.
For on-site mediation, the market supervision and administration department or its entrusted organization shall notify the complainant and the complained party in advance regarding the time, place, and mediators.

Article 21 Mediation shall be presided over by staff of the market supervision and administration department or its entrusted organization and may, if necessary, invite relevant personnel to assist.
Mediators who are close relatives of the complainant or complained party or have other interests affecting impartiality shall recuse themselves. If either party requests recusal, the department shall suspend mediation and decide on the recusal.

Article 22 If it is necessary to appraise or test the quality of goods or services due to consumer rights disputes, the complainant and complained party may jointly select an appraisal or testing agency with the required qualifications. If no agreement is reached, the handling department may designate an agency.
Except as otherwise provided by law, appraisal or testing costs shall be borne by both parties as agreed.
Time required for appraisal or testing shall not count toward the mediation period.

Article 23 Mediation shall be terminated under any of the following circumstances:
(1) The complainant withdraws the complaint or both parties reach an independent settlement;
(2) Either party fails to participate without justification or explicitly refuses mediation;
(3) Mediation has been conducted, but either party clearly states no agreement can be reached;
(4) Disagreement over who bears appraisal or testing costs;
(5) No agreement reached within 60 days from complaint acceptance;
(6) The department finds any circumstances specified in Articles 16 or 42;
(7) Death or loss of legal capacity of either party;
(8) Other circumstances requiring termination under laws, regulations, or rules.
The department shall notify both parties within 7 working days of deciding to terminate mediation.

Article 24 If an on-site mediation agreement is reached, the department shall prepare a mediation document, unless it has been immediately performed or both parties agree not to prepare one.
The mediation document shall be signed or stamped by both parties, bear the department’s seal, with one copy each for the complainant and complained party, and one retained for the department’s records.
If no document is prepared, the department shall keep mediation records for reference.

Article 25 If the complainant or complained party is dissatisfied with the department’s termination decision or mediation result, they may resolve the consumer rights dispute through civil litigation, arbitration, or other means in accordance with Article 39 of the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights and Interests.

Article 26 The department may use spot checks, return visits, or other methods to evaluate complaint handling and improve efficiency.

Article 27 If, during mediation, the department discovers clues of violations of market supervision laws, regulations, or rules, it shall investigate within 15 days from discovery and handle the matter according to the Administrative Punishment Procedures for Market Supervision. Under special circumstances, with approval, the investigation period may be extended by 15 days.
Mediation of consumer disputes does not exempt the operator from other legal responsibilities.

Article 28 Reporters shall provide specific clues of suspected violations and corresponding factual evidence and are responsible for the authenticity of the report. For non-written reports, staff shall record the content.
Internal personnel of operators are encouraged to report suspected violations according to law.

Article 29 Reports shall be handled by the county-level or above market supervision department where the reported act occurred. Laws, administrative regulations, and departmental rules shall prevail if otherwise specified.

Article 30 County-level market supervision departments may handle reports in the name of their department within the determined scope, except where laws or regulations authorize the dispatched office to act.

Article 31 Reports regarding e-commerce platform operators or operators selling goods/services via self-built websites or other online services shall be handled by the department at the operator’s place of residence.
Reports regarding operators within a platform shall be handled by the department at the operator’s actual business location. If a department at a platform operator’s residence receives the report first, it may also handle it.

Article 32 Reports regarding illegal advertising via mass media such as radio, film, TV, newspapers, periodicals, or the internet shall be handled by the department at the advertiser’s location.
For internet ads, the department at the advertiser’s or operator’s location receiving the report first may handle it.
If the advertiser posts illegal internet ads themselves, the department at the advertiser’s location shall handle it.

Article 33 When two or more departments have jurisdiction disputes, they shall negotiate within 7 days from the dispute; if unresolved, the common higher-level department shall designate the handling department.

Article 34 Departments lacking jurisdiction upon receiving a report shall inform the reporter; if the matter falls within the department’s authority, the reporter shall be informed to submit to the competent department.

Article 35 Departments shall handle reports in accordance with the Administrative Punishment Procedures for Market Supervision.
Repeated reports by the same reporter on the same suspected violation shall not be handled again. Reports supplementing new facts may be consolidated, and the handling period recalculated from the last report’s receipt.

Article 36 Where laws, regulations, or rules require notifying or rewarding reporters, departments shall comply.

Article 37 Departments shall keep reporters’ information confidential, except when materials contain both complaint and report content necessary for mediation, or otherwise legally required.

Article 38 Departments shall strengthen statistical analysis of complaints and reports, issue consumer alerts and risk notices, and publish statistical analysis reports.

Article 39 Departments shall strictly protect state secrets and information affecting national, public, economic security, or social stability obtained in handling complaints and reports. Business secrets or personal privacy shall be handled according to the Regulations on Open Government Information.

Article 40 Departments shall implement unified data standards and user rules and process all complaints/reports via the national 12315 platform for nationwide integration.

Article 41 County-level and above departments shall promptly forward complaints/reports to relevant departments with jurisdiction and receive feedback if no jurisdiction.

Article 42 If complaints or reports are found to be fraudulent, such as fabricating facts or coercing compensation, departments shall transfer the case to public security authorities under the Public Security Administration Punishments Law.

Article 43 Handling of other complaints or reports under special laws (e.g., anti-monopoly or fair competition regulations, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, cosmetics) shall follow respective relevant provisions.

Article 44 Activities in the form of complaints or reports for consultation, information requests, administrative reviews, or disciplinary reports are not covered by these Measures; departments may redirect to appropriate channels.

Article 45 When calculating periods in years, months, or days, the first day is not counted; if the last day falls on a statutory holiday, the period ends on the next working day or natural day.

Article 46 These Measures shall come into force on April 15, 2026, and the former Interim Measures for Handling Complaints and Reports in Market Supervision and Administration issued by Order No. 20 of the State Administration for Market Regulation on November 30, 2019, are hereby repealed.

Reference

https://www.samr.gov.cn/zw/zfxxgk/fdzdgknr/fgs/art/2026/art_e4d03a20c0fd49769e408c7bf3791ff5.html